H.E. Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan co-chaired with Hon. Lorin S. Robert, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Federated States of Micronesia, as the chair of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF). Her Excellency Ms. Tania Tupou, Ambassador of Tonga to Japan as the Kingdom’s representative, participated in the meeting together with leaders from other Pacific Islands Countries as well as the PIF Secretariat.

In the MIM3, the Pacific Leaders gratefully accepted the announcement by Minister Kishida that the next PALM (PALM 8) will be held in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan from 18 to 19 of May 2018. Pacific Leaders highly expressed gratitude for Japan’s assistance through PALM and reaffirmed their determination to further strengthen the partnership, through dialogues and cooperation based on the PALM process.

At the end of the meeting, the Chair’s Summary of the MIM3 was adopted with emphasis to further contribute to the human resource development of the Pacific Islands countries and all the commitments made at PALM 7; the continued cooperation to achieving Self-Sufficient and Sustainable Development in addressing challenges caused by Climate Change; Upholding Free and Open Maritime Order; Cooperation in the International Fora, and the Vision towards PALM 8.

The Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting is held every 3 years since 1997 to forge close cooperative relations between Japan and the Pacific Islands countries, by discussing various regional and global issues in a candid manner. Since 2010, the Ministerial Interim Meeting has been held in the year between two Summit meetings.

Issued by: Embassy of Japan in Tonga

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